In honor of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, Doc Brown has insisted that I replace his usual Think Tank photo with one of the Partying Pontiff.

The Holy Father responded by blessing the DeLorean via Skype and inviting Doc to visit him at The Vatican on Christmas Day 2025. Doc left right after the blessing to time travel to that engagement.

I hope he stops somewhere to buy some gifts first. It would be a major faux pas to show up empty handed at The Vatican on Christmas Day!

Meanwhile, back in the present, it’s time to head out to the first Think Tank of Autumn. It’s supposed to get down into the 30s in Maine tonight, Modern Philosophers, so I recommend you wear your warmer Deep Thinking Togas.

I’ll tell the interns to get a fire going in the Think Tank’s massive fireplace. We will be toasty warm, and probably won’t even realize Summer has abandoned us.

This week’s topic: Did you do anything special to bid farewell to Summer?

I’m definitely not a fan of Summer’s end, Modern Philosophers. It means we are one season closer to the return of Snow Miser, and as you know, he’s too much.

So I certainly had to do something to mark the end of the only season during which it has never snowed while I’ve lived in Maine.

I fired up the grill at work for the first time this year (better late than never!), and we had a Goodbye Summer BBQ!

It was definitely the way to say “Adios, Amiga!” to a Summer that treated us very well. We had burgers and hot dogs from the grill, as well as a ton of homemade sides and desserts.

Oh, the desserts. One of them was an evil concoctions called a Fat Butt Bar. I’m usually not a fan of fat butts, but today I made an exception…

I am still stuffed to the point that I might not eat dinner. Plus, I want to hang on to the memory of the barbecue for as long as possible because as long as I can do that, Summer will not end.

Don’t laugh. It’s true! I read it on the internet.

Quite possibly on this blog…

I was hoping that Pope Francis would be able to make it to the shindig to give us a proper blessing and be one heck of a surprise guest.

Unfortunately, he got tied up down in Augusta trying to exorcise Maine’s LePage Demon. Don’t worry, though, I made him up a plate and he’s going to stop by The House on the Hill later to pick it up.

Two states over and up, and such a difference in temperature, Austin. It got to the 50s, and I had my shorts and T on when I took Ellie B out in the back at 7:15 a.m., no harm no foul. Wow. Well, enjoy your run, my friend.